Hi all,
I just finished my Solid State 2022!
Burning in right now, impressed so far. Thanks Andrea for your wonderful designs.
The build went really well. Only inconvenient was with the fact that my JFETs are different to those of Andrea (even if the same JFET model). Increasing R23/R24 from 120 to 150 ohms brought my bias current to about 0.9A.
Ivan
I just finished my Solid State 2022!
Burning in right now, impressed so far. Thanks Andrea for your wonderful designs.
The build went really well. Only inconvenient was with the fact that my JFETs are different to those of Andrea (even if the same JFET model). Increasing R23/R24 from 120 to 150 ohms brought my bias current to about 0.9A.
Ivan
Hi all, some sonic impressions after about 30 hours of break in.
Disclaimer: I use semi-active speakers so the speakers use probably I'm the region of 20W (woofers are active). Also I use a balanced preamplifier as my DAC does not have volume control.
Impressions: I am not sure why people can snob distortion figures that are not in the 0.000x %. I can tell you that a small amount of distortion (especially if containing a nice harmonic spectrum) is really not audible. Measurements are really useful, to support what we hear not instead of it, otherwise we are measuring the wrong thing.
Anyways the amplifier sounds really nice. Compared to the extreme high end hybrid amplifier end this amplifier is a little more precise and detailed, a tad less soft. Personally having both I prefer this amplifier. Also the construction of the soundstage is rather impressive, really wide. Instruments and voices are solid ( no need to close your eyes 😉 )
I never stop being surprised how nice some of these DIY amplifiers/electronics sound. Thanks Andrea for this wonderful design.
Disclaimer: I use semi-active speakers so the speakers use probably I'm the region of 20W (woofers are active). Also I use a balanced preamplifier as my DAC does not have volume control.
Impressions: I am not sure why people can snob distortion figures that are not in the 0.000x %. I can tell you that a small amount of distortion (especially if containing a nice harmonic spectrum) is really not audible. Measurements are really useful, to support what we hear not instead of it, otherwise we are measuring the wrong thing.
Anyways the amplifier sounds really nice. Compared to the extreme high end hybrid amplifier end this amplifier is a little more precise and detailed, a tad less soft. Personally having both I prefer this amplifier. Also the construction of the soundstage is rather impressive, really wide. Instruments and voices are solid ( no need to close your eyes 😉 )
I never stop being surprised how nice some of these DIY amplifiers/electronics sound. Thanks Andrea for this wonderful design.
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Ivan, have you tested the resistors to unbablance the feedback ? this will increase the thd but the sound will be more soft
Hi, yes I have installed a 56k in parallel to the feedback resistor (inverting side, position C6). I have not tested the amplifier without it so I am not sure how much it changes the sound.
Hi,
I have also completed my Solidstate 2022 amp. The sonic result is nothing short of spectacular! I would describe the sound as dynamic, immediate and very transparent without getting clinically analytical. You get connected to the music in a way that I have not experienced before. Jawdropping!
I have, just as Ivan, semi active speakers so the load is not that difficult (92dB and 6.3 Ohm (min)).
I have also completed my Solidstate 2022 amp. The sonic result is nothing short of spectacular! I would describe the sound as dynamic, immediate and very transparent without getting clinically analytical. You get connected to the music in a way that I have not experienced before. Jawdropping!
I have, just as Ivan, semi active speakers so the load is not that difficult (92dB and 6.3 Ohm (min)).
Hi,
I will convert my Hi End Hybrid Extreme (2015) with the new input stage of the 2023 hybrid amplifier later this year. 🙂
/Dominic
I will convert my Hi End Hybrid Extreme (2015) with the new input stage of the 2023 hybrid amplifier later this year. 🙂
/Dominic
It gives a designer much pride when another DIYer find after building the design pleasing. Well done Andrea, I am proud to be a member of this community. It is also nice to see that you ignore negative comments with regard to your design because you experienced and tweaked it in reality, not just a simulation.
I for one don't think it's euphonic distortion that people find desireable, although I'm not excluding that it may be an added bonus for some. For others, I think there may be some overlooked benefits that outweigh the distortion, like:
Speaker + amplifier 'entourage' effects. For instance, cone and box materials introduce mechanical echoes, which the voice coil then converts back into voltage or current. If the voltage is short-circuited (as it usually is, unless the output impedance is high by design and/or passive XO components push it up) then the amplifier outputs a current to keep its feedback voltage correct. Except that this 'damping' system is only as linear as the weakest link in the chain, and therefore things like box resonances and break-up modes produce HD and IMD with each conversion cycle (electrical <--> mechanical).
If NFB is very low, those error voltages that the speaker produces, which might only be a few mV (or mA) in the first place for a 1V stimulus, may have a significantly lower multiplier when the amplifier echoes them back.
Hi Andrea,
I am updating my hi-end hybrid end to the 2023 spec as well! the boards are assembled and I have just received the transformer....just need to find some time to do it!
I will provide feedback once s is done on my impressions.
I am updating my hi-end hybrid end to the 2023 spec as well! the boards are assembled and I have just received the transformer....just need to find some time to do it!
I will provide feedback once s is done on my impressions.
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Andrea, the SS2022 is a nice design for me given its low part count and outstanding sonic performance, not considering that is is a thruly balanced design.
So much so that as we speak I am assembling another one that I will be gifting to my brother. I have adjusted the bias resistor R23/R24 to 150 ohms to get about 1A. Now I get about 1.07A. is this too high and do i need to lower the resistor (to let's say 145/146 ohms) or do I leave it as is? I realise that it will use and dissipate a little more power but as long as it does not degrade the sound I will leave it as is.
Thanks
Ivan
So much so that as we speak I am assembling another one that I will be gifting to my brother. I have adjusted the bias resistor R23/R24 to 150 ohms to get about 1A. Now I get about 1.07A. is this too high and do i need to lower the resistor (to let's say 145/146 ohms) or do I leave it as is? I realise that it will use and dissipate a little more power but as long as it does not degrade the sound I will leave it as is.
Thanks
Ivan
So I have completed the second SS2022 to gift to my brother. Initially I used fast diodes as I could not find the MBR40250G however I was not happy when compared with the version with Schottkys. I then found substitute Schottkys on Mouser, all went back to normal 😉 I was not expecting such a big sonic difference between different diode types.
Lovely amp!
Lovely amp!
Attachments
I have just acquired a quantasylum QA403 analyser, as soon as I have some time I will post some measurements of my unit.